I like soccer very very much and I like judaism and jewish philosophy as much as well, so I thought it would be a great idea to mix the two together. Above you can see the result, which is basically an “all time national team” of jewish philosophers according to my preferences. Learning the lessons of jewish history, I choosed a clearly defensive team’s formation (3-5-2), but on the contrary with the 5 midfielders we got a flexible squad that can adjust to certain situations in a game.
goalkeeper: Nachman of Breslov
We need someone in the back who could stay calm all time and have the ingredient respect which is needed for this position, and nobody have these two attributes as much as Reb Nachman of Breslov.
centre-back: Nachmanides (Ramban)
Against muslim or christian theologians, Ramban always knew how to defence the truth of the Torah, and with that he earned this key position in the middle of the defense.
right back-left back: Philo and Joseph Caro
There is no place for tender feelings or poetry for side-backs, this positions require toughness and realism, which is exactly what we can expect from the great interpreter of greek philosopy and the author of Sulchan Aruch.
defending midfielders: Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig
Worked on the revolutionary german translation of the Tanach together, Buber and Rosenzweig could form an excellent couple, but probably would be the grey characters of the team, and also the hardest-workers.
wide midfielders: Simeon bar Yochai and Baruch Spinoza
Different characters, but both the creative bar Yochai with his mystical dribbles and Spinoza with his exact, rationalist passes and volleys could drive the opponents crazy.
attacking midfielder: Maimonides (Rambam)
No question, Rambam can understand and control the game like nobody else, and he also deserved the role of the skipper.
Strikers: Judah Halevi and Rasi
The pair of the clean mind and the creative freedom would compliment each other perfectly at the front of the goal. Though Halevi could make endless dribbles sometimes or forget about offside, if he got the right mood, he’s unstoppable.
substitutes: Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Akiva, Sa’adya Gaon, Abraham ibn Ezra and Emmanuel Levinas.